Latest news with #NTA
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Far North council staff ‘thrown under the bus' with restructure, union says
PSA Te Tai Tokerau organiser Athol Ringrose said workers were made to feel the change was because of their underperformance, lack of technical capacity and an increase in complaints. But when the union asked for data about this alleged underperformance, the council pointed to a 2023 review of the NTA. Ringrose said the information not only did not answer the question, it was provided after the council's consultation period. Ringrose says this was in breach of the Employment Relations Act - Far North District Council chief executive Guy Holroyd says the council has adhered to all requirements of the act. Despite the union's protests, the council continued, giving a date of August 4 for implementation. The workers have been left feeling angry, he said. 'They're really upset at being thrown under the bus. They're being painted as ineffective and unmanageable.' Some of the workers at Far North District Council's roading department have been working in the district for 20 years. Photo / NZME A council worker and union representative, who asked not to be named, believes the council has no data to show the in-house team has been underperforming. The workers have not only responded to complaints, they have planned out work for the next two years of the council's roading-focused Long Term Plan, she said. Another worry was the council's initial proposal named an incumbent service supplier as the 'winner' of the new professional services contract, the representative said. After concerns were raised by both the union and NZ Transport Agency, the council moved to an open procurement process. However, workers were told there would not be any opportunities for them to work with the external provider, she said. The union representative likened the restructure to the Hunger Games and said workers were left feeling 'absolutely gutted'. 'They're extremely disappointed and angry.' The job losses will result in a loss of expertise, with some working with the council and NTA for 20 years, she said. Far North District Council chief executive Guy Holroyd says the Employment Relations Act requirements were followed with the moves to outsource the roading department. Ringrose said the PSA's lawyers are considering legal action. Change driven by operational needs and market, council says FNDC chief executive Guy Holroyd said outsourcing the roading department was needed to improve efficiency and gain expertise not available in-house. 'The change is part of efforts to streamline operations, improve efficiency and provide better roading services to the community. 'Outsourcing certain functions will allow us to leverage specialised expertise and resources not currently available in-house.' Holroyd said communities and ratepayers can expect to benefit from improved service quality and cost-effectiveness. 'By outsourcing to specialised providers, we will achieve enhanced efficiencies and innovative solutions that better meet the needs of the Far North.' The council has followed a comprehensive process, including stakeholder consultations and risk assessments, and adhered to all requirements of the Employment Relations Act, Holroyd said. 'The council recognises the impact this transition will have on staff and is committed to supporting affected employees through this period.' The timing of the change was driven by operational needs and market conditions, he said. 'While it has only been a year since NTA was disestablished, the council identified an opportunity to enhance service delivery and achieve cost efficiencies in what is our single biggest budget line.' Holroyd said the council has been working with NZTA to ensure a fair and transparent procurement process is in place for the new professional services contract. Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Navan Town Bus network expands with new stops in Meath
The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Bus Éireann have announced a significant expansion of the Navan Town Bus Service, with new stops on routes NV1 and NV2. The changes will take effect from Saturday, July 27, and aim to improve public transport access across the town, especially in growing residential areas. Route NV1 (formerly N1) will be extended eastwards to include new stops at Carne Wood, Johnstown Village, and Dunville. As part of this realignment, the Kilcarn Bridge stop will no longer be served by this route. Route NV2 (formerly N2) will now reach new stops in Navan's northeast, serving Belcourt, Blackcastle Demesne, and Blackcastle Estate. The frequency of both NV1 and NV2 routes will remain unchanged, operating every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday, and hourly on Sundays between 08:30 and 22:30. All buses on these routes are now fully accessible with low-floor access, ensuring a more inclusive service for passengers with mobility needs, parents with buggies, and older adults. John Nott, Head of Public Transport Service Planning at the NTA, said the upgrade directly addresses the town's growth and rising transport needs. "As Navan and Johnstown develop, it is essential that public transport keeps pace. These service improvements represent a significant milestone in delivering a more connected, reliable, and accessible transport network for local communities,' he said. Adrian O'Loughlin, Senior Regional Manager, East at Bus Éireann, noted the continued popularity of Navan's bus services. He said: 'These improvements will positively impact passengers travelling for work, leisure, health and education. Demand for our services in Navan is high and we have seen considerable growth in recent years, delivering over 111.6 million passenger journeys last year.' Meanwhile local councillor also welcomed the news. Independent councillor, Alan Lawes, said: 'The bus service expansion is very welcome as Dunville is a very busy estate and in Old Johnstown, there are new houses being added there as well.' 'This is good as we are trying to encourage more people to use public transport so extra services are always welcome.' 'There will be a lot of students who would also benefit from the new services. It will be convenient for them,' he added. Councillor Emer Tóibín (Aontú) said: 'This is a much needed development for residents in the are who have been calling for better public transport links for years.' "It is a step in the right direction towards making Navan a more connected, accessible, and sustainable town.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Delhi University admissions: Fewer tie-breakers used this year due to ‘normalised' CUET scores
This year, Delhi University (DU) has relied far less on tie-breaking rules while allocating seats to undergraduate applicants under the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS), with officials attributing the shift to the National Testing Agency (NTA) providing 'normalised' Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores up to seven decimal points instead of 'raw' scores, The Indian Express has learnt. 'Last year, the CUET scores provided by NTA were raw, and we had to apply tie-breaking criteria in many cases,' a senior DU official told The Indian Express. 'But this year, because of the precision of normalised scores, it became easier to allocate seats purely on CUET scores. Tie-breakers were used only in a few cases.' Raw scores are initial marks obtained in each subject of the CUET, before normalisation or percentile calculation is undertaken. Last year, if two students had the same CUET score for a particular course and college, DU had to dig deeper — compare their Class 12 marks, check their age, and in some cases, even go by whose name came first alphabetically — to decide who would get the seat. This was because the scores shared by the NTA were raw, with overlaps being common. But this year, the NTA gave scores precise to 7 decimal points — for example, 741.7355297 — which made it far less likely for two students to have exactly the same score. This meant DU could simply go by the CUET score in most cases, without needing to fall back on tie-breakers. While DU has over 71,000 undergraduate seats, it has allocated 93,166 seats so far, suggesting that internal shifting and re-allocations will take place in subsequent rounds, as seen in earlier admission cycles. As of Monday evening, 80,015 students had accepted their allocations, and 31,088 applications had been approved by respective college principals. In response to last year's challenges, DU had revised its tie-breaking criteria for the 2025-26 admissions. The alphabetical order of names, which was earlier the last resort, has now been replaced with Class 10 marks. 'Until last year, we were working with raw data and, in some cases, had to allocate seats alphabetically,' Haneet Gandhi, DU's Dean of Admissions, had told The Indian Express earlier. 'This year, we wanted a more rational and merit-based approach. So, we decided to use Class 10 marks. We take the average of all subjects to break ties. This ensures that meritorious students are considered without fail.' In contrast, last year and in 2023, the alphabetical order of names was used in some cases as the final tie-breaking step. In 2023, The Indian Express had reported that DU had to rely more on tie breakers when compared to 2022, attributing this 'to higher CUET scores in 2023 as compared to 2022, which resulted in an increase in competition'. Meanwhile, four years into the CUET-based admission process, BCom (Hons) continues to be the most sought-after programme at DU. The top college preference for BCom (Hons) remains Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). 'We have allocated all our seats and are done with our admission process,' SRCC Principal Simrit Kaur said on Tuesday. At Miranda House, North Campus, Principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda said, 'We have almost filled all our seats and will be completing the remaining admissions very soon.' The college had received 1,482 applications by Tuesday evening, of which 1,360 had been approved and 12 rejected. The most in-demand subjects were Economics, Political Science, English, and Hindi. Kirori Mal College Principal Dinesh Khattar said, 'We have almost filled all our seats. These were over 1,500 seats, and admissions will positively be closed by tonight for our college.' This year, DU has received over 3.05 lakh undergraduate registrations — the highest since CUET was introduced for UG admissions.
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Health
- NDTV
NEET UG Counselling 2025 Underway; Check Frequently Asked Questions
NEET UG Counselling 2025: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has initiated the registration process for Round 1 of NEET UG Counselling 2025. Candidates who have qualified the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2025 can apply through the official website - The counselling is being conducted for admission to MBBS, BDS, and other allied medical courses under the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) in government medical and dental institutions. The remaining 85% of seats will be filled by respective state authorities. Several states including Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Punjab, Assam, and Telangana have already started their individual counselling processes. To ensure timely admission, the MCC has directed all participating institutions to treat Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays as working days during the counselling process. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How to use the registration and choice filling form on the website? Log on to and complete the registration process. Study the counselling scheme carefully before proceeding. Prepare a tentative list of preferred colleges and courses. Read the user manual thoroughly before filling out choices. Do I require any documents to register online? Yes, you'll need to provide details that match your NEET UG application form submitted to NTA. Keep your application printout ready for reference. What information is needed for MCC UG online registration? You will be required to enter specific details exactly as mentioned in your NEET UG application. Ensure spellings and numbers are accurate. How and when should I make the payment? Once registered, you'll be directed to the payment page. Payment can be made online via Net Banking, credit or debit card. Only after successful payment can you proceed to choice filling. Is there a limit to the number of choices I can fill? No. You can fill as many choices as desired. Submit them in order of preference. A unified portal is provided for AIQ, Deemed/Central Universities, BSc Nursing, AIIMS, JIPMER, AMU, and BHU. Can I estimate the seat I may get based on my rank? You may check past allotment trends on the MCC website under the Undergraduate section. However, these are indicative only and not a guarantee. Is it necessary to lock choices for seat allotment? Yes. You must lock your choices during the locking period to get a printout. If not locked manually, the system will auto-lock your choices as per the schedule. Do I need to join the allotted college in Round 1 to participate in Round 2? No, there's a free exit option after Round 1. However, if you wish to upgrade in Round 2, you must report to the Round 1 allotted college and indicate willingness for upgradation. What if I don't report to the allotted college in Round 2? Your security deposit will be forfeited, and you must register afresh (with new payment) to participate in Round 3. Key Instructions Do not share your registration password or OTP with anyone. Keep the NEET UG application form and related credentials safe for future reference. Ensure data entry is error-free to avoid disqualification from the process.
Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Fingal County Council declares NTA planning application invalid
Fingal County Council has declared a planning application by the National Transport Authority for a 'strategic' park-and-ride facility near M1 as 'invalid'. The 733 space car park in Lissenhall, just north of Swords, was to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles and take buses into the city and forms part of the NTA's wide park-and-ride strategy for the Greater Dublin Area. The council rejected the application, invalidating it as the site notice, application form and newspaper notice descriptions did not match. The application was also deemed not to include details of a planned on-site wastewater treatment system. In the decision letter, Fingal County Council also said a series of proposed developments were judged to be drawn to an incorrect scale, had incorrect elevations or had photos which 'do not appear to be reflective of the drawing plans and elevations'. The developments the council took issue with include a proposed bus shelter, bike lockers, a bike shelter, toilets and an ESB substation. A spokesman for the NTA said the reasons for the rejection 'are all minor such as inconsistency in the wording of the site notice and newspaper advertisement and some issues with the scaling of drawings submitted'. The spokesman said the NTA is addressing the issues and will resubmit the application 'in a matter of days'. In the application, the NTA sought permission to build 733 car parking spaces, which would be made up of 522 standard spaces, 37 spaces for mobility-impaired users, 72 spaces designated for electric vehicles and an additional 72 space futureproofed for electric vehicles. Based on a 6.74 hectare site located at Lissenhall Little, just west of the junction 4 of the M1 motorway into Dublin, the facility would include 3 bus bays as well as passenger shelters in a bid to 'enhance accessibility and convenience for users'. To enable active travel, the development would include bike shelter and lockers. The proposed Lissenhall park-and-ride development was expected to serve as a short-term interim solution which would eventually be replaced by a considerably larger, 3,500 vehicle car park nearby to service the planned Dublin metro system once constructed. Revealing the plans in response to a parliamentary question in February, the NTA said the development is planned as an 'interim solution to reduce vehicles entering the city before the commencement of operation of the Metrolink'. It said the project would 'intercept car trips where people are reliant on private cars at an early viable point in their journeys thereby reducing the distances travelled by private car with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions congestion.'
